Apparatus for heating freight-cars



2,S`heets'-Sheet 1.

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Patented Peb. 14,1882.

W. E. EASTMANQ APPARATUSFOR HEA'JINur`- FREIGHT CARS.

(No lModell.)

No.. y253,521.-

N. PETERS. FhmoLichugnpmr. washmgmn, D4 c.

(No Model) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

W. E. HASH/IAN. APPARATUS POB. HEATING FREIGHT GARS. No. 253,521. Patented Feb. 14,1882.

yN. PETERS. Phalwmhognyher. wmingkm. D. c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM E. EASTMAN, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR 'IO THE AMERICAN FREIGHT CAR HEATER COMPANY, OF PORTLAND,l MAINE.

APPARATUS FOR HEATING FREIGHT-CARS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 253,521, dated February 14, 1882.

Application filed November 25, 1881. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Beit known that I, WILLIAM E. EAs'rMAN, a citizen'of the United States of America, residing at Boston, in the county of Suffolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new vand useful Improvements in Apparatus for Heating Freight-Cars; and l do hereby decla-re the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to whichit ap pertains to make anduse the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to letters or figures of reference marked-thereon, which form a part of this specification.

The object of my invention is to provide means whereby produce or other articles of -merchandise which are injured by being subjected to a low temperature may be safely transportedv in the winter, and this I accomplish by providing` a freight-car having a heating apparatus attached and so constructed that currents of heated air evenly distribute heat through out the car.

My present invention is an improvement on tliat shown and described-in Letters Patent ,*No. 247,028, September 13, 1881, granted to vantages of an apparatus ot' this kind; but I` will here state that the use which my invention is more particularlydesigned for is the safe transportation of potatoes from the country to the cities during the winter. By its use serious delays are avoided in importing potatoes and other vegetables from Canada, because the cars can be sealed, and, passing intermediate custom-houses, be entered at their destination. Losses by theft are also avoided,

as it is never necessary to enter a car to regulate the heat or to replenish the lire.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a vertical longitudinal section of a car (through line z, Fig. 2) constructed according to my im- -proved invention. Fig. 2 shows a bottom plan thereof. Fig. 3 is a vertical transverse section through line w, Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a vertical section, showing in detail the construction of the heating apparatus. Fig. 5 is a top view or plan ofthe heater proper, showing the wicktubes and gearing of the wick-elevators. Fig. 6 shows also the gearing of the apparatus for controlling the Wick and a wick-tube, also a metallic deector above the wick-tube; and

its operation is as follows The cock g being in such position thatno oil can enter tube j' from tube l1, the plug` 2 is removed and the tank lled through the opening at 2. Tube 3 is open at both ends, the upper end opening into the main tank j and the lower into the trap or supplemental tank z'. Tube 4 is open at both ends, the upper end opening to the outside air and the lower into the trap fi.

In lling tank j oil descends through tube 3 into trap t", and ascends in tube 4 to a level -with the oil in the tank. When the tank shall have been lled nearly or quite full the-plug 2 is replaced, so that the tank is hermetically sealed, except as regards tubes 3 and4. The cock g is now opened and the oil allowed to new to the lamp-tank e. At 'first the oilstanding in tube 4 descends into the trap z', and all the oil therein down to a levelwith the bottom of tube 3 flows to the lamp-tank c. As soon as the oil in the trap z' shall havev fallen to the point indicated air admitted through tube 4 begins to bubble yup through tube 3, and a corresponding quantity of oil will descend and flow to the lamp-tank e,- and this will continue until the level of the oil in the lamp-tank is as high as the lower end of tube 3, when it will cease, because no more air can enter tank j. The

level of the oil in thelamp-tank will then theoretically always be maintained so long as there remains any oil in tank j; but in practice it is found that it is best to allow some spacein the lamp-tank above this point to compensatefor expansion of the oil and airin the tank j, and for avariation in the relative positions ot' `the tank and lamp or heater, caused by grades and irregularities of the railway-track.

To guard also against accident-such as the occurrence of a leak in the tankj-LI have provided a safety-tube, t, through which superfluous oil will escape to the ground, instead of being forced up through the \\'icktubes,where it would, by becoming ignited, damage or destroy the car and its contents.

I do not claim the overflow-tube t as new in connection with the burners of ordinarylamps, as the same is shown in patent to Merrill, No. 35,460, June 3,1862; but applied in this mauner it is thought to be new and useful in com` bination with the other parts.

The automaticV tank is attached to the car,

and the'heater proper forms a portion of the door of the hot-air chamber d, to which it is attached in such a manner that only its top iseX- posed to the heat therein generated, and that at its lowest and coolest part. Thisl consider an important improvement, because the oil in the lamp-tankis kept cool bya free circulation of the outside air in contact with it, and is not, as in previous arrangements, inclosed in the hot-air chamber.

The hot-air chamber d is attached to theunder side of the car, and the floor-timbers immediately above the burners s are protected by a curved metallicornon-conducting dedecting-plate T, as shown in Fig. 6.

In using very broad wicks it is'quite necessary that they should be elevated lor depressed evenly, especially as the use ofthe automatic vfeeding-tank renders it unnecessary to often reach the top of the lamp-tank for filling. To effect this I use double friction-rollers Q, slightly roughened and moving together in opposite directions by reason ot gears S on the ends of the spindles upon which the rollers are fastened. Their operation is clearly shown in Figs. 5,6, and 7,0 being the thumb-wheel for operating them.

The bottom ofthe car is celled or sheathed, f

as shown at a', with any suitable material, except as regards the space above the hot-air chamber d, at which point only the deector T intervenes between the burning wicks and the floor-timbers. v

It will be seen that the ceiling mentioned forms, with the tloor a and the `hoor-timbers of the car, passages or ilues C, through which heated air from the hot-air chamber may be conducted along under the door to the ends of the car.

At the ends ofthe car I provide for the exit ot' the hot air from the lines by removing a narrow flooring-plank, (or a part'of a wider one,) and the air can escape freely into the car; but this I do not allow. I construct the 1inings l), Figs. 1,2, and 3, which form additional hot-air tlues C, whereby the contents of the car are surrounded by the said hot-air currents. All the heated air passing above the door comes up through the spaces at the ends mentioned above, and not through openings along the sides and through the door of the car in various places, as specified in the Letters Patent and specilication referred to herein, and it is not allowed to escape at the top of the end lining. From the space formed by the end lining and the end of the car the hot air passes to the side spaces formed by the side linings and the sides of the car, and finally escapes into the car through the openings which are made in the boards that form the tops of the side hot-air spaces, as indicated by the dotted lines r :in`Figs. l and 2. Their position is also indicated by r in Fig. 3. Its passage from the end to the side spacesis indicated by the dotted arrows m, and the arrows m show its direction yat'ter emerging from the openings r, having had its heat abstracted. As this heated air becomes cooler it sinks toward and into the well or standing space between the movable binends b2 and enters the registers l, as shown by the arrows n, whence, through the tubes it is conducted back to the lowest portion of the hot-air chamber to be again heated and sent out through the dues G. This complete circulation of air is another important point in my improvement, as it avoids the admission of large quantities of very cold air from the outside to the burners, and a consequent escape from the roof and upper portions of the car of warm air. By again heating the air that is not very cool I economize fuel and keep up a much more rapid circulation, in fact, by this plan it is possible to effect the same result with a smaller heater.

For the admission of so much outside `air as is necessary for combustion, and for keeping the air within y the car sufticiently pure, tubes O O', Figs. 2, 4, and 5, are provided and pass through the body of the lamp-tank and open into the hot-air chamber, their vertical extent being indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 4. Passing through the lamp-tank, as they do, they are surrounded by the oil and aid materially in keeping it cool.

It willbe understood by reference to the drawing that the linings b b are suthciently t'urred out or removed from the vstuddin g to permit a free ycirculation of air.

Thermometers are placed in the carat proper places, and the temperature within may be observed by opening small doors inthe side of the car. Neither the thermometers nor the doors are shown, and they are not claimed as new alone or in combination.

Having thus fully described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent the following:

' l. In combination with a stovel or'heater placed under the body of a car, the dues or passages beneath the door, and the air-spaces at the ends of the car, adapted, as described, to discharge the heated air into the perforated air-spaces at the sides of the car, substantially as shown and described.

IOO

IIO

IIS

2. In combination with a stove or heater 4placed under the body of the car, and provided v tube .t for the purpose specified, the tubes passing through the ol-chamberin the heater for thepurpose ofsupplyiug fresh air and keep ing the oil cool.

4. In combination with a stove or heater for burning liquid fuel, supplied automatically by a tank, j, said tank operated by atmospheric pressure in the manner set forth, the Hues or passages beneath the floor, the closed airspaces at the ends, and the open air-spaces at the sides of the oar, all. connected and operating substantiallyas described.

5. The stove or heater c, arranged to form the oor of the hot-air chamber d, and the automatic tankj,'having tubesand 4 and stopper 2, constructed and operating together, as described, in .combination with the lues beneath and the air-spaces at the ends and sides of the ear, and the openin gs r for producing hotair currents and conducting the same to the inside of the car, substantially in the manner and for the purpose described.

6. A heater for burning liquid fuel, attached to a vehicle, and provided with a safety-tube for the overflow of superfluous fuel.

7. The stove or heater so placed under the car that its top surface forms the oor of a hot-air chamber, and provided with tubes O,

'passing` through the oilchamber iu the heater aro for the purpose of supplying fresh air and keeping the oil cool.

8. The stove or heater so placed beneath the car that its top surface forms the floor of a hot-air chamber, and provided with tubes O',- passing through the oil-chamber in the heater for the purpose specified, in combination with the pipes 7c, which. supply air to the hot-air chamber from .the inside of the car, substantially in the manner described.

9. The heater, in combination with the flues G, registers Z, and pipes 7c, for effecting complete circulation of air in a car or other vehicle.

10. The stove or heater placed under the car in such a manner that its top surface forms the floorof a hot-air chamber, and provided with tubes O', passing through the oil-chamber in the heater, for the purpose described, in combination with the tlues beneath the door, the air-spaces at'the end, and the air-spaces at the sides of the car. v v Y 11. The combination of the pipes or returndues k and a stove or heater for burning liquid fuel, placed beneath the body of a car and provided with a safety-tube, t, substantially as described.

l2. The combination of the pipes or return tlues lc, a stove or heater-placed under the body of a car, and the hot-air tlues C, substantially as described.

13. The stove or heater placed underv the body of a car in such a manner that its top surface forms the door ot' a hot-air chamber, in combination with the hot-air passages or titles beneath the door ot' the car, theclosed air-spaces at the ends, the open air-spaces at the sides of the car, andthe pipes or returnfines k, substantially as described.

14. In combination with a stove orheater for burning liquid fuel, supplied automatically bya tank,j,said tank operated by atmospheric pressure in the manner set forth, the llues or passages beneath the floor, the closed air-spaces at the ends, the open air spaces at the sides of the car, and the pipes or return-fines 7c, all connected and operating in the manner described.

415. The combination ofthe stove or heater, provided with the tubes O', -which pass through the oil in the heater for the purposes described, the hot-air passages or llues beneath the tloor of the car, and the closed air-spaces at the ends,

adapted to discharge the hot airinto the open air-spacesat the sides of the car, for the purpose described.

16. The combination of the stove or heater provided with the tubes O', which pass through .the oil in the heater for the purposes described,

the ends, and the open air-'spaces at the sides of the car, for the purpose specified.

18. The combination of the stove or heater provided with the tubes O', which pass through the oil in the heater for the'purposes described, and also provided with the safety-tube t, for the purpose specified, the hot-air' passages or dues beneath the floor, the closed air-spaces at the ends, theopen air-spaces at the sides of the car, and the pipes or return-dues lc, all operating substantially as described, and for the purfor burning liquid fuel, supplied automatically In testimony whereof I ax my signature in by a tanlgj, said tank operated byatmospherc presence of' two witnesses. pressure in the manner sel; forth, and furnished with the safety-tube t, for the purpose speoi- WILLIAM E. EASTMAN. 5 fied, the hot-air passages or ilues beneath the floor7 the closed air-spaces at the ends7 and the Vitnesses: open air-spaces at the sides of the our7 'for the NV. FREDERICK KIMBALL, i

purposes speoiecl. J. V. KEiTH. 

